More Than A Painting
by Catherine Chen
Summary: Anya and Dimitri are married and have settled into domestic life. He doesn't appreciate her artwork. She challenges him to do better. And from there, things become a lot more interesting. A bit silly, but heartfelt at the end. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
1. So Taunt Me

Random, random randomness.

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"Do you really like my painting, Dimitri?" she asked her husband.

"Of course I do, sweetheart," he replied without looking up from his book.

She turned to him exasperatedly. "You said you didn't have the patience for reading. Now you've always got a book or a newspaper. Besides, I heard you telling Vlad it looked like a bunch of splotches. You said you couldn't even tell what it was."

He grinned at her charmingly. "Of course I can tell. It's a picture of flowers."

Anya narrowed her eyes. "It's pears scattered across a table."

Dimitri tried his best to be convincing. "I knew that. I was just kidding..." He put his book down and walked over to the chair where she sat in front of her easel. He began nuzzling her neck. "You know I love your paintings, Anya. You are an exceptional artist, my dear," he murmured as he kissed her deeply. The scent and feel of her overwhelmed him and he forgot what he was supposed to be convincing her of. His hands drifted over her body, lightly tracing the curves he had come to know very well.

Suddenly, she pulled away from him.

He moved to take possession of her lips again, but she placed her hand over his mouth to stop him.

"Dimitri," she said sweetly, "what does my painting look like to you?"

"Flowers," he mumbled as he reached for her.

She swatted away his hands. "You know, it's not like you could do any better."

"At what?" he asked, his mind still jumbled after the kiss.

"Painting."

"No...I don't suppose I..." he stopped. "Actually, I think I could, with the right muse."

"What did you have in mind?" Anya asked suspiciously.

"You, of course. Unless, that is, you're willing to just admit I'm a better painter..."

"I've never seen you paint a damn thing. Of course I won't...I accept your challenge, Dimitri," she said, sticking out her hand.

He took it and shook her hand to seal the bargain.

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It's about to get risqué. But you won't be able to read unless you REVIEW!


	2. Deceive Me

Wrote history essay. It was late. Couldn't sleep. Ta da!

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"Something just isn't right," he said putting down his pencil.

"Damn it, Dimitri. What is it this time? I've put on almost every dress in my closet and you know as well as I do that ever since I became royalty my store of clothes has multiplied a hundredfold. One was too pale. One was too dark. One was too puffy. One was too tight. I've put on hats and gloves and coats for you. I didn't agree to this just so you could play dress-up with me as though I were a doll!" said Anya exasperatedly as she sat on the small stool primly, with her hands folded in her lap.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I need to get this right. You wouldn't paint your pears if they didn't look their best, would you?" he asked as he twirled the pencil with his fingers, seeming to be considering the picture she made sitting there on her stool.

"That isn't at all the same, Dimitri. For one thing, pears don't wear clothes. For another-"

"Exactly!" he cut her off, his eyes gleaming. "My darling Anya, would you please remove that lovely dress?"

"Dimitri!" she cried, shocked.

"It's for the sake of art, my love. And for the sake of my argument. That is," he said innocently, "unless you're willing to concede..."

Her eyes narrowed at him as she quickly assessed the situation and weighed her options. "Fine," she mumbled, her hands going to the ties of her dress.

"Wait a moment, sweetheart. Let me. I am the artist after all. I need to have, ah, creative control".

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There is some kissing in the next chapter which is written but not typed. The chapter after that one is when the "action" happens. But you will not get to read it if you don't REVIEW!!


	3. Desert Me

Oops! I forgot. Her dress comes off but nothing happens yet in this chapter other than kissing. Thus, M rating for the nudity. Enjoy! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!

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Even after a year of marriage, the hungry, sensual look in his dark eyes still made something inside of her melt. She kept her gaze on his face as he reached out and slowly pulled the strap of her dress off her shoulder.

He leaned into her, planting a gentle kiss on her neck as he drew her to him, pressing his body against the length of hers.

"Dimitri," she breathed shakily.

"Shhh, sweetheart," he whispered into her neck. His hand came up to cradle her jaw as he lifted his head to kiss her lips. He gently caressed her mouth, making her head her spin. Her body relaxed into his.

When he lifted his head again she found the ties of the dress undone and her breasts exposed to his heated gaze.

He removed his hand from the small of her back and her dress slid to the floor. She dimly realized that he had been holding up the thin material with that hand.

"Beautiful," he murmured. He carried her to the couch on the opposite side of the room and laid her down gently on the velvet cushions. "Much better," he said, turning away from her.

"Dimitri...," she began to protest, before noticing that he was making his way back to the easel. He picked it up and brought it to the couch. She had forgotten all about the painting.

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NOT DONE YET. REVIEW IF YOU WANT THE REST.


	4. And Hurt Me

I have found my inspiration.

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To her complete and utter shock he did not return to her arms but picked up the pencil and began to sketch.

"Anya," he said authoritatively, "Do try and show a proper sense of deportment. You are a grand duchess after all. The least you could do is not to leave your mouth hanging open like that...ow!" He rubbed his head where she had hit him with a pear and glared at her. "What did you do that for?"

She smiled sweetly at him before adopting a regal pose worthy of Cleopatra or Josephine de Beauharnais or Titania.

His narrowed his eyes but returned to his work, his pencil making soft scratching noises on the canvas.

After what seemed like an interminable period of time he put down the pencil and began mixing his paints.

"Haven't you finished yet, Dimitri?" Anya complained. "I think my leg has fallen asleep".

"So I win?"

She shot daggers at him with her eyes, but silently resumed her position.

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Dimitri looked over at his wife, curled up into a little ball on the couch. He had finished his painting but he didn't have the heart to wake her up to show it to her when she looked so peaceful sleeping there. He grabbed a blanket from a chair and gently spread it over her, to keep her from getting cold.

He started when her hand shot out to grab onto his wrist. "Dimitri," she said huskily, her voice roughened by sleep.

He knew that look in her eyes. His shoulders tensed like a predator waiting in anticipation of a sign of weakness from its prey. "Yes, my love?"

She trailed her fingers up his arm slowly, the heat of her touch singeing him through the thin fabric of his shirt.

"Anya..." he began.

She cut him off, drawing his head down to hers for a kiss.

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Right. There would be more. But I have a test tomorrow and am being ordered to go to bed.


	5. My Arms Fold About You

After a few moments of passionate embrace, he moaned her name against her lips. "Anya. Anya, we need to…"

"Take me upstairs, Dimitri."

Without another word he wrapped her in the blanket and lifted her into his arms. He somehow maneuvered her upstairs without getting caught by any of the servants. That is, until he finally reached their bedroom.

"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't mean to…I didn't expect," the maid stuttered, blushing furiously.

"It's quite alright. Anya won't need your services this evening, Adèle," said Dimitri as he shared a smile with his wife.

"V-very good, sir," squeaked the maid before disappearing down the hallway.

"Nervous little thing isn't she?"

Anya's smile widened. "I don't think expecting to see one of her employers wrapped in a blanket without a stitch of clothing on was included in the job description.

Dimitri grinned. "I think you might be right. Let's not worry about it now." He kicked open the bedroom door and crossed the room before laying her down on the bed. "Now…where were we?"

Anya tilted her head back. "I seem to remember you saying we need to do something."

"Ah, yes." He trailed his hand up her hip to her waist before closing his hand over her breast. "I find I can't seem to recall what I was thinking at the moment."

She lifted a hand to cradle his face in a graceful movement. "Perhaps I could refresh your memory," she murmured as she pulled his head down to hers.

The delicious heat and sweetness of her mouth ensnared him. He held her gently, content to savor her rather than devour her ravenously. Suddenly he disengaged from her.

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes darkened with passion.

"I feel comparatively overdressed," he said by way of an explanation as he proceeded to remove his vest and shirt.

Anya suppressed a little shiver of desire as he exposed more of his physique. If she had any talent as a sculptor she would mold a figure of him that she was sure would rival Greek statuary. She waited for him to return to bed then pounced on him.

"Yes?" he asked, struggling to suppress his laughter. He sobered at the seductive look in her eyes and swallowed hard.

"You've been in control of me all afternoon. I know what I need, Dimitri. I need to be in control of you".

His heart beating faster, he held her gaze. "It's a deal."

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Hope you enjoyed it. PLEASE REVIEW!! Much love, Cat.


	6. In Love With My Joy Delirious

Very M. More so than my other stories. You have been warned. PLEASE REVIEW!!!

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In other areas of her life she had learned to be confident and strong because she had to be. But with Dimitri, especially when they were intimate, she felt free of such constraints and allowed herself to be vulnerable and let him take control. That didn't mean that she was willing to remain passive all of the time, and on occasions such as this, knowledgeable Anya and naive Anya blended together.

Her hands swept over his body caressingly, possessively as she indulged her curiosity. Even after being married for so long, her initial fascination with his body had never waned. His muscles tensed as her fingers brushed his flat stomach. They grew rigid when she replaced her hands with her lips and her tongue encircled his navel, eliciting a deep groan from him.

She lifted her head and held his gaze, moistening her lips with her tongue while staring at him with heavy-lidded eyes in a way she knew he found incredibly arousing. Still, he kept his promise of letting her have control, the tension in his body the only hint that he wanted to take a more active role in their intimacy. It irked her to know that in his place she would already be writhing against the sheets, heated and frenzied, anxious for him to take her. She smiled slightly. It was time to shake his control a little more.

Straddling his hips, she bent and lightly raked her teeth over his collarbone. His hands gently resting on her waist clenched in response. "Dimitri," she complained. "Don't you desire me just a bit?" she asked petulantly.

He released a shaky breath. "Of course I do," he assured her, his voice lower than usual and roughened by desire. He played with her unbound hair, loose around her shoulders, arranging it around her breasts. "If you knew how close I am to...well, you wouldn't have to ask me that."

Her lips curved in a knowing, feminine smile. "Well then I'll just have to see what I can do about pushing you over the edge of that precipice, won't I?"

He sucked in a harsh breath as she smoothed her hand over him from one hip to the other. He looked up at her through lust-fogged eyes. "Anya."

"Yes, Dimitri?" she inquired politely as her mouth was poised over his stomach, every breath she took teasing him and causing his body to clench ever tighter.

"I can't take this anymore, Anya," he pleaded.

She arched an eyebrow at him.

"I'm in pain, sweetheart," he choked out.

She smiled and eased her way up his body to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. "Men are such babies," she murmured before slowly taking him inside of her and relieving a portion of his agony.

"Oh, Anya," he groaned.

"Better?" she asked, shifting her hips.

He moaned incoherently in response, his hands returning to her waist to settle her into a gentle rhythm.

"Dimitri?" she prompted softly.

He arched up so he could bury his face in her neck. "Ever since I saw you on that staircase, I knew..."

"In Paris?" she breathed as she rocked her hips faster.

He groaned as her inner muscles clenched him.

"Dimitri?" she teased breathlessly.

"No," he managed to whimper.

"At the palace?"

He nodded.

"How could you have fallen in love with me when I was dancing about that dusty ballroom by myself like a crazy person?" Anya asked.

He shook his head and mumbled something.

She halted her movements. "I didn't quite catch that."

After finding her immovable, he opened his eyes. "No," he gritted out. "Not then. Earlier."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion but the pressure building inside of her was reaching a boiling point and soon the needs of her body usurped control from the concerns of her mind. She continued her rhythmic thrusts, fighting against the coiling tension in her core which both drove her to find release and held her back from completion by tightening her muscles. It didn't help that Dimitri was bucking his hips beneath her and urging her on, his hoarse voice increasing the intensity of her response to their lovemaking and making it more difficult to hold on to her sanity. Finally she broke, pleasure washing over her in waves as she cried out his name.

"Anya!"

They collapsed against the sheets, his hand slowly stroking her back. "Any other bargains you feel like making?" he asked.

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One more chapter after this. Then I'm done. PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.


	7. So In Love With You, My Love, Am I

A long while later they emerged from their bedroom to find some nourishment to revitalize their sated, but exhausted bodies. Anya started a fire in the library, while Dimitri slipped silently into the kitchen to prepare a light meal for them.

When he rejoined her, he found her staring at his painting, her lips parted in astonishment. It showed her lying on the couch as she had been, but with the city of Paris at night as a backdrop.

"It's beautiful," she murmured as he came to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her waist.

"You're beautiful," he mumbled, burying his face in her neck.

She laughed. "You're still just a con on the inside, aren't you?" she teased. "You're getting a bit rusty though, Dimitri."

"Teach not thy lip such scorn for it was made for kissing, lady, not for such contempt," he said huskily before covering her lips with his own and kissing her until her head spun.

When Anya regained her composure, she turned her attention back to the painting. "The painting truly is spectacular, Dimitri. Why didn't you tell me you were this talented? It is fit to be hung in any art gallery in the world," she said complimentarily.

He shook his head. "I'd rather hang it in our home where I can see it everyday."

"I thought you didn't believe in homes," she questioned softly.

"Maybe your obsession with homes has worn off on me," he reasoned.

Her eyes narrowed. "Dimitri..."

He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them gently. "Do you remember that day on the train?"

"When you said Russia was 'a place you once lived. End of story'"? she asked.

"Yes."

She rested her head against his chest. "What about it?"

"I guess I've joined the ranks of normal people," he said.

She gasped melodramatically. "Heavens, no, Dimitri. Say it isn't so!"

He scowled at her unconvincingly, as she could see the glimmer of humor in his eyes. "It's a thing where you are with the person you love most in the world," he said, kissing her hands again.

"What?"

"That day you told me a home was 'something that every normal person wants, and for another thing, it's a thing where you...'", he reminded her. "You never finished that thought. Now, I have."

"Dimitri," Anya said softly.

"I love you, Anya," he whispered, kissing the corner of her mouth lightly. "It was inevitable from that day I saw your eyes light up when your grandmother gave you your music box. A part of me wanted to see that same look in your eyes when they were focused on me. It just took me a few years to fall in love with you completely," he said with a smile.

"I love you, too, Dimitri," she said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Always."

"I'll never be able to stay away," he murmured just before kissing her again and sweeping her into his arms to carry her to the couch beside the painting, their meal left forgotten on the table next to the pears.

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THE END.

FYI, the thing that Dimitri says "teach not thy lip" etc. etc. is from Shakespeare. See, look at that. You get an infusion of culture with my stories. Also, the chapter titles are all lyrics to the Cole Porter song from the musical Kiss Me Kate called So in Love. Bam! Culture again. Now, be good little readers and REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.

P.S. Join me for another Anya-Dimitri fic some time in the future. After finding the script online (finally) I'm feeling rather inspired.

OK, new story up. It doesn't have a title at the moment. Just connect to it from my profile.


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